outside of which Bernie was now parking.
"Why don't you stand in the line for us Mamma. While you're getting our visitor's passes I can telephone Ferris."
In the phone booth, Marian counted twenty rings. Then she let it ring twenty times at Ferris' office, and when there was no answer there either, she rejoined her Mother in the line.
Ralph was sitting in his blue chair, sipping fruit juice from a straw which an attendant was holding to his lips.
"Say hello to your Mother, Ralphy," the attendant said, taking the straw from Ralph's mouth.
Ralph didn't say hello. He pouted, he did not like the straw being taken away, the flow of grape juice stopping.
"Let him finish." Hannah dug in her purse for one of the packages.
Ralph wasn't his usual laughing and gurgling as Hannah flitted about making baby talk conversation, making a ceremony of placing a candy cane in his hand. With her pocketbook full of prettily wrapped candy and toy surprises, she was like a fairy godmother, each visit trying to cast a spell that would make her son laugh and jabber like a normal happy boy.
The candy cane fell onto the floor. The next surprise elicited no response. He didn't even bother to tear off the wrapping.
Mamma handed Marian the last of the packages. "Marian, you read to Ralph, I've got a bit of a headache."
Marian pulled her chair close to Ralph's. The book had pop-ups. Ralph smiled at the palm tree that grew up from the center of the first two pages and when she turned the page to show him the pop-up dog, he just yawned. He seemed to forget to close his mouth and saliva dribbled onto his chin.
That was when Marian noticed the silver-white stubble. She'd never seen white in his beard before, but he was usually clean shaven.
Somehow, until that moment, Marian had never allowed herself to think about Ralph as an older man.
Marian watched, while her Mamma fed Ralph lunch. It was a job that ordinarily delighted Hannah — to see her boy gobbling up everything so greedily but all Ralph gobbled was the mashed potatoes. He hit at the spoon so that the green peas fell down on the bib, he spit out the hamburger so that bits of the meat flew at Mamma's face and she had to put up a hand to protect herself.
Ralph drank the juice and milk, then closed his eyes.
It was like air escaping from a balloon, the way Hannah immediately began to sag. "Mamma, why don't we got to the visitor's cafeteria and have a bite. I haven't had anything today except orange juice." Marian said, breaking her no lunch resolution.
When tea and cookies were in front of her Mother, Marian excused herself. First, she had a nurse page Dr. Benedict. Then, she tried Ferris' office number again.
After twenty rings there was still no answer.
"Maybe he's in the recording booth or he's in the darkroom. Or he went out for coffee," Marian reasoned, hurrying back to the table, because she saw that Dr. Benedict was there, already talking with Mamma.
"The Doctor is saying that your brother has some kind of heart problem," Mamma announced, as Marian pulled up a chair.
"I was explaining to your Mother that your brother's condition may just be temporary, but Ralph's heart muscle does not seem to be functioning properly. It may be just an irregularity, I'm not a specialist in that field." Using medical terms, Dr. Benedict went on to suggest that Ralph's symptoms indicated a premature ageing syndrome that was typical of certain retarded adults, especially males.
"My husband had arterial blockage — is that what Ralph has? Could he have a heart attack?"
"That's not the problem, is it Doctor?" Marian wanted Benedict to give them more information. She knew he wouldn't if Hannah was too upset.
"Mrs. Melnik, we may have to consider a surgical procedure."
"Surgical procedure!" Hannah's voice went up an octave. "You want my Ralph to have surgery?"
"Mamma, the Doctor is just saying that surgery is one of the possibilities. Why don't we listen — "
Hannah did not want to hear what
"Why don't you stand in the line for us Mamma. While you're getting our visitor's passes I can telephone Ferris."
In the phone booth, Marian counted twenty rings. Then she let it ring twenty times at Ferris' office, and when there was no answer there either, she rejoined her Mother in the line.
Ralph was sitting in his blue chair, sipping fruit juice from a straw which an attendant was holding to his lips.
"Say hello to your Mother, Ralphy," the attendant said, taking the straw from Ralph's mouth.
Ralph didn't say hello. He pouted, he did not like the straw being taken away, the flow of grape juice stopping.
"Let him finish." Hannah dug in her purse for one of the packages.
Ralph wasn't his usual laughing and gurgling as Hannah flitted about making baby talk conversation, making a ceremony of placing a candy cane in his hand. With her pocketbook full of prettily wrapped candy and toy surprises, she was like a fairy godmother, each visit trying to cast a spell that would make her son laugh and jabber like a normal happy boy.
The candy cane fell onto the floor. The next surprise elicited no response. He didn't even bother to tear off the wrapping.
Mamma handed Marian the last of the packages. "Marian, you read to Ralph, I've got a bit of a headache."
Marian pulled her chair close to Ralph's. The book had pop-ups. Ralph smiled at the palm tree that grew up from the center of the first two pages and when she turned the page to show him the pop-up dog, he just yawned. He seemed to forget to close his mouth and saliva dribbled onto his chin.
That was when Marian noticed the silver-white stubble. She'd never seen white in his beard before, but he was usually clean shaven.
Somehow, until that moment, Marian had never allowed herself to think about Ralph as an older man.
Marian watched, while her Mamma fed Ralph lunch. It was a job that ordinarily delighted Hannah — to see her boy gobbling up everything so greedily but all Ralph gobbled was the mashed potatoes. He hit at the spoon so that the green peas fell down on the bib, he spit out the hamburger so that bits of the meat flew at Mamma's face and she had to put up a hand to protect herself.
Ralph drank the juice and milk, then closed his eyes.
It was like air escaping from a balloon, the way Hannah immediately began to sag. "Mamma, why don't we got to the visitor's cafeteria and have a bite. I haven't had anything today except orange juice." Marian said, breaking her no lunch resolution.
When tea and cookies were in front of her Mother, Marian excused herself. First, she had a nurse page Dr. Benedict. Then, she tried Ferris' office number again.
After twenty rings there was still no answer.
"Maybe he's in the recording booth or he's in the darkroom. Or he went out for coffee," Marian reasoned, hurrying back to the table, because she saw that Dr. Benedict was there, already talking with Mamma.
"The Doctor is saying that your brother has some kind of heart problem," Mamma announced, as Marian pulled up a chair.
"I was explaining to your Mother that your brother's condition may just be temporary, but Ralph's heart muscle does not seem to be functioning properly. It may be just an irregularity, I'm not a specialist in that field." Using medical terms, Dr. Benedict went on to suggest that Ralph's symptoms indicated a premature ageing syndrome that was typical of certain retarded adults, especially males.
"My husband had arterial blockage — is that what Ralph has? Could he have a heart attack?"
"That's not the problem, is it Doctor?" Marian wanted Benedict to give them more information. She knew he wouldn't if Hannah was too upset.
"Mrs. Melnik, we may have to consider a surgical procedure."
"Surgical procedure!" Hannah's voice went up an octave. "You want my Ralph to have surgery?"
"Mamma, the Doctor is just saying that surgery is one of the possibilities. Why don't we listen — "
Hannah did not want to hear what
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